“Moderation” is Ineffective for Weight Loss

One of the most misused and least understood messages when it comes to weight loss is “eat in moderation”. A recent study concludes that moderation is not effective in helping people lose weight.

To kick off, there is no standard definition of moderation as it pertains to food consumption. Moderation is a relative term, and as such, it does not provide a clear, objective method to measure calorie intake. Are 10 potato chips a moderate serving? Or should that be 7? Maybe 15? Ask 3 different people and you’ll get 4 answers.

The relative meaning of the word moderation is based on people’s individual perceptions. In the study, a group of overweight individuals was asked what a moderate amount of cookies is. Their answers were all over the place.

People are not good judges of what a moderate amount is, and thus, conclude the researchers, should be given more precise instructions.

What do you think about the term “moderation”?

-Fooducate